Secrid supports homeless people and refugees through Sheltersuit
With a special edition of its world-famous card wallet, Secrid is helping homeless people and refugees find shelter. "The stories are sometimes shockingly 'ordinary'."
DATE
27 May 2024
TEXT
Jasper Gramsma
IMAGE
Fleur Beemster
Secrid supports homeless people and refugees through Sheltersuit
With a special edition of its world-famous card wallet, Secrid is helping homeless people and refugees find shelter. "The stories are sometimes shockingly 'ordinary'."
Tat good design for the product designers of Secrid is much more than colour and shape, may be clear. With the people- and nature-loving philosophy behind their ingenious pocketwear, they have been making the world a little better every day since 2009. Proudly, co-founder Marianne van Sasse van Ysselt walks into the homely atrium of the headquarters in the Binckhorst with the latest series of the famous Wallets; from each one sold, 10 euros goes to the Sheltersuit Foundation, which upcycles residual materials into a jacket, sleeping bag and duffel bag all in one for the homeless and refugees.
'Climate problems will mean more and more displaced people'
"Because of climate problems, there will be more and more displaced people," argues Van Sasse van Ysselt. "But even now you can already see that people are increasingly living on the streets for a while. And their stories are sometimes shockingly 'ordinary': divorced men, mothers with children..." After a short pause, "My husband René van Geer and I too once almost ended up on the street when things went badly with our business." Since the couple met Sheltersuit founder Bas Timmer in Cape Town a few years ago, Secrid has been quietly supporting his organisation. "It's time we got consumers involved too," he says.
Hypothermia
"Bas came up with the idea for Sheltersuit when a friend's father died of hypothermia on the street," Van Sasse van Ysselt explains. "'How is that possible in my country?' he wondered. He decided not to set up a clothing line after his studies, but to focus on protective clothing for people on the street. Besides the Dutch studio, which is run by a refugee Syrian entrepreneur, there are now also branches in the US and South Africa. She says this way of working fits in perfectly with Secrid's values. "This shows the social impact you can have as a designer," she says.
The message behind Secrid's new range of Bandwallets is a layered one. "When you use it, you are reminded to spend your money wisely - sometimes even on someone less fortunate. If you also have a chat in the process, you will discover that you should not be too quick to judge someone's situation," says Van Sasse van Ysselt, who sees a link between Secrid's products and life on the streets. "Your identity card is 'key' when you are homeless, without it you cannot claim the most basic help. With our Cardprotector, you can safely store your ID card."
Scratches
The design, which came about under the tutelage of project manager Julie Arkes, is not random. "The starting point was that nothing new would be made for this series - just as for the Sheltersuits," Van Sasse van Ysselt explains. "That's why we used rejected Cardprotectors. To get rid of the scratches, we put a print over them. The Bandwallet is made of TPU, a super-strong, waterproof plastic for work shoes, among other things. We had a large remaining stock of that, as it is too unfamiliar a material for most of our customers."
'Starting point was that nothing new would be made for this series'
Besides the innovative plastic, which is cut and welded with laser technology, there is another element that betrays the evolution of the Wallets. In this design, the traditional press stud has given way to a coloured elastic band. Van Sasse van Ysselt: "That makes this Wallet more suitable for outdoor use. And it is more flexible because you can also insert a key or cash. The latter in particular is in great demand in the countries around us; almost half of Germans prefer cash to debit cards for fear of being digitally tracked."
Marianne van Sasse van Ysselt and Julie Arkes in the warehouse where the rejected Cardprotectors are stored.
Story
The goal is clear, the product is ready. Now the multifaceted story behind it needs to be put across to retailers and - more importantly - the ultimate user. "That takes effort, because there is quite a lot to explain," Van Sasse van Ysselt acknowledges. "Just like when we started with Secrid." In Germany, she is in contact with a large outdoor chain with branches across the country. "They have a huge reach and in their webshop you can find all kinds of tutorials on how to set up a tent or make a fire. That's where our story about the collaboration with Sheltersuit fits in very well."
The circulation of these Wallets is limited to five thousand pieces, but Van Sasse van Ysselt is looking beyond that. "We have long been putting 1 per cent of our turnover into our own impact fund. From that, we make donations to all kinds of charities. I can imagine that in the future we will create many more special Wallets to draw attention to these kinds of special social projects." Then suddenly: "Crazy, isn't it? In the beginning, I missed the meaning of our design; what is a cardholder? Now I think it's a great tool for awareness of consumption and identity."
text Jasper Gramsma image Fleur Beemster
Tat good design for the product designers of Secrid is much more than colour and shape, may be clear. With the people- and nature-loving philosophy behind their ingenious pocketwear, they have been making the world a little better every day since 2009. Proudly, co-founder Marianne van Sasse van Ysselt walks into the homely atrium of the headquarters in the Binckhorst with the latest series of the famous Wallets; from each one sold, 10 euros goes to the Sheltersuit Foundation, which upcycles residual materials into a jacket, sleeping bag and duffel bag all in one for the homeless and refugees.
'Climate problems will mean more and more displaced people'
"Because of climate problems, there will be more and more displaced people," argues Van Sasse van Ysselt. "But even now you can already see that people are increasingly living on the streets for a while. And their stories are sometimes shockingly 'ordinary': divorced men, mothers with children..." After a short pause, "My husband René van Geer and I too once almost ended up on the street when things went badly with our business." Since the couple met Sheltersuit founder Bas Timmer in Cape Town a few years ago, Secrid has been quietly supporting his organisation. "It's time we got consumers involved too," he says.
Hypothermia
"Bas came up with the idea for Sheltersuit when a friend's father died of hypothermia on the street," Van Sasse van Ysselt explains. "'How is that possible in my country?' he wondered. He decided not to set up a clothing line after his studies, but to focus on protective clothing for people on the street. Besides the Dutch studio, which is run by a refugee Syrian entrepreneur, there are now also branches in the US and South Africa. She says this way of working fits in perfectly with Secrid's values. "This shows the social impact you can have as a designer," she says.
The message behind Secrid's new range of Bandwallets is a layered one. "When you use it, you are reminded to spend your money wisely - sometimes even on someone less fortunate. If you also have a chat in the process, you will discover that you should not be too quick to judge someone's situation," says Van Sasse van Ysselt, who sees a link between Secrid's products and life on the streets. "Your identity card is 'key' when you are homeless, without it you cannot claim the most basic help. With our Cardprotector, you can safely store your ID card."
Scratches
The design, which came about under the tutelage of project manager Julie Arkes, is not random. "The starting point was that nothing new would be made for this series - just as for the Sheltersuits," Van Sasse van Ysselt explains. "That's why we used rejected Cardprotectors. To get rid of the scratches, we put a print over them. The Bandwallet is made of TPU, a super-strong, waterproof plastic for work shoes, among other things. We had a large remaining stock of that, as it is too unfamiliar a material for most of our customers."
'Starting point was that nothing new would be made for this series'
Besides the innovative plastic, which is cut and welded with laser technology, there is another element that betrays the evolution of the Wallets. In this design, the traditional press stud has given way to a coloured elastic band. Van Sasse van Ysselt: "That makes this Wallet more suitable for outdoor use. And it is more flexible because you can also insert a key or cash. The latter in particular is in great demand in the countries around us; almost half of Germans prefer cash to debit cards for fear of being digitally tracked."
Marianne van Sasse van Ysselt and Julie Arkes in the warehouse where the rejected Cardprotectors are stored.
Story
The goal is clear, the product is ready. Now the multifaceted story behind it needs to be put across to retailers and - more importantly - the ultimate user. "That takes effort, because there is quite a lot to explain," Van Sasse van Ysselt acknowledges. "Just like when we started with Secrid." In Germany, she is in contact with a large outdoor chain with branches across the country. "They have a huge reach and in their webshop you can find all kinds of tutorials on how to set up a tent or make a fire. That's where our story about the collaboration with Sheltersuit fits in very well."
The circulation of these Wallets is limited to five thousand pieces, but Van Sasse van Ysselt is looking beyond that. "We have long been putting 1 per cent of our turnover into our own impact fund. From that, we make donations to all kinds of charities. I can imagine that in the future we will create many more special Wallets to draw attention to these kinds of special social projects." Then suddenly: "Crazy, isn't it? In the beginning, I missed the meaning of our design; what is a cardholder? Now I think it's a great tool for awareness of consumption and identity."
